Overview
- A court in Zaporizhzhia found 27-year-old Dmitry Kurashov guilty of shooting dead Ukrainian soldier Vitalii Hodniuk after he surrendered near Pryiutne on Jan. 6, 2024.
- Judges convicted Kurashov under Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code covering violations of the laws and customs of war.
- Kurashov pleaded guilty during the proceedings, later told reporters he was innocent and sought a prisoner swap, and told Reuters he did not plan to appeal.
- Ukrainian forces captured Kurashov later the same day during a counteroffensive and transferred him to law enforcement.
- Ukrainian authorities say Kurashov had prior theft convictions and joined the Russian Storm-V assault unit in November 2023 for amnesty, as the PGO reports 322 alleged executions of surrendering servicemen under investigation.